Anderson carries UConn through first half

Published 12:00 am, Monday, March 20, 2006

After making four 3-pointers Sunday - all in the first half - UConn wing
Rashad Anderson
flew past point guard
Marcus Williams
at the top of the key and winked.

Seconds later, Anderson caught a pass from Williams in the corner and buried a jumper with 5:03 remaining in the first half.

After going scoreless against Albany in Friday's first round, Anderson carried No. 1 seed UConn in the first half of Sunday's 87-83 victory over No. 8 seed Kentucky in the
NCAA
tournament's second round.

Anderson finished the game with 14 points - all in the first half - in 15 minutes of court time. He shot 5-of-10 overall and 4-of-9 from behind the arc.

"He has no conscience and I don't care about it," Armstrong grinned. "But sometimes, that's what we need. We need that kind of player. He's a great player. I'm so happy he's on my team."

What's next: With No. 3 seed North Carolina losing to No. 11 seed
George Mason
65-60 in the second round Sunday, the Washington, D.C. Regional has opened up like a four-lane highway to Indianapolis, site of this year's Final Four.

UConn will meet No. 5 seed Washington on Friday night in the Sweet 16 at the
Verizon Center
. If the top-seeded Huskies advance to the regional final March 26, UConn will face either George Mason or No. 7 seed Wichita State.

UConn has enjoyed similar fortunes en route to its two national championships in 1999 and 2004.

In 1999, the Huskies defeated No. 5 seed Iowa and No. 10 seed Gonzaga on their way to the first Final Four appearance in school history.

In 2004, UConn beat No. 6 seed Vanderbilt and No. 8 seed Alabama on its way to the
Alamodome
in San Antonio.

Not transferring: Despite sitting out the last nine games - and not playing more than three minutes since Dec. 30 - UConn point guard Rob Garrison has no plans to transfer.

"I'm not going anywhere. I love it here," said Garrison, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Niagara Falls, N.Y. "Everybody wants to play more, but I know my time will come."

In the meantime, Garrison is enjoying the NCAA tournament, even if it's only from the bench.

"At this time of year, it's not hard to be ready. Anything can happen in the NCAA tournament," Garrison said. "It would be really stupid not to be ready. Somebody could get hurt. Or something crazy could happen. I'm just grateful for this opportunity. It's a blessing."

In 16 appearances this season, Garrison is averaging 2.0 points and 2.2 assists in 9.5 minutes.

This and that: The second round in Philadelphia was like the tournament of champions. The four teams playing at the
Wachovia Center
- UConn, Kentucky, Arizona and Villanova - have won a combined 11 national championships. . .

UConn center
Josh Boone
failed to score for the first time in 67 games. . .

Friday will mark UConn's second meeting with Washington in the Sweet 16. The two schools, both nicknamed Huskies, also played in the 1998 NCAA tournament. UConn won, 75-74, on a buzzer-beater in the lane by
Richard Hamilton
. . .

The Huskies blocked only one shot against Kentucky, a season-low.
Rudy Gay
accounted for UConn's lone block in the second half.